Football trousers



Feb. 16 1926.

W. P. WHITLEY ET AL FOOTBALL TTOUSERS Filed Feb. 19

Patented Feb. 16,

ourrru .srarss PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. WHITLEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND ROBERT C. ZUPPKE, OF CHAM- PAIGN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS TO RAWLINGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST.

' LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FOOTBALL TROUSERS.

' Application filed February 19, 1925. Serial No. 10,301.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we,'lV1LLiAar P. W'Hrn Liza" and ROBERT C. ZUrPnn, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, in the 5 city-of St. Louis, State of Missouri, and Champaign, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Football Trousers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enlO able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to football trousers.

p The main object of the inventionis to pro- "vide a pair of football trousers that are equip ed with extra pads which afford additional protection to the lower abdomen of the wearer and also preferably to the wearcrs pelvic bones, groin and appendix.

Another object is to provide a pair of p 0 football trousers which are equipped with outside pockets or casings of novel construction in which removable pads are adapted to be arranged so as to afford adequate protection to the wearers abdomen or to the abdomen and also to the groin and appendix.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front ele rational View of a pair of football trousers constructed in accordance with our invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on the iine'22 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of our invention, A designates a pair of football trousers, of any preferred construction, which are equipped with two outside pockets or casings B arranged at the front side of the trousers, as shown in Figure 1, and constructed in such a manner that removable pads G can be ar ranged inside of same so as to afford additioiial protection to the wearers abdomen. Preferably, said pockets B and the pads C positioned in same are so proportioned that said pads not only protect the lower portion of the wearers abdomen, but also the pelvic bones, the groin and the appendix.

Each of the pockets or casings B is formed from a piece of fabric, preferably of the same kind from which the trousers are constructed, arranged on the outside of the front of the trousers and shaped so as to form a pocket open at its upper end and projecting downwardly a considerable dis 'tance from the upper edge or waist band portion of the trousers. In the form of our invention herein illustrated each of the pocketpieces B comprises a single lower portion that is secured by stitches 1 to the front of the trousers and a doubled upper portion formed by an extension 2 of the lower portion and flaps 3 that told inwardly over said extension 2, as shown more clearly in Figure 1. The extension 2 and flaps 3 virtually form a tubular casing at the upper end of the pocket, which tubular casing is preferably made long enough so that it can be folded inwardly and downwardly over the upper edge or waist band portion of tho trousers and then secured to same by a means 4, as shown in Figure 2.

The pad G, which is removably inomitcd in each of the pockets B, is usually formed from a piece of heavy felt, and in instances where the wearer is suffering from an injury to the abdomen or adjacent portions of the anatomy, a substantially rigid shield or guard, usually a piece of fibre conforming to the shape of the pad C, is slipped into the pocket B on the front side of the pad C. It is immaterial, so far as our broad idea is concerned, what means is used to close the open ends of the pad pockets 1%, so as to retain the pads or protecting; devices in operative position in said pockets, but, as previously stated, we prefer to construct the pocket pieces so that after the pads C have been slipped into the pockets B, the upper end portions of the pocket pieces can be folded inwardly and downwardly, as shown in Figure 2, so as to embrace the upper edge or waist band portion of the trousers. The securingmeans l, previously referred to, preferably consists of lacings 4c, and we also prefer to form aligned holes in the pads and in the waist band portion 5 of the trousers, so as to permit the lacings t to be passed through the doubled upper end portions of the pocket pieces, through the waist band portion 5 of the trousers, through the pads C and then brought forwardly through the pocket pieces and tied on the front side of same, as shown at the left of Figure 1.

Outside pockets of the kind described add very little to the cost of football trousers, but they greatly enhance the value of such trousers, in that they permit pads or protecting devices to be arranged on the trousers in su h a Way as to afford adequate p tion to the lower portion of the abdomen, the

pelvic bones, the groin and the appendix of a football player. The shape and dimensions of the pad pockets are nninaterial and it is also. immaterial how said pockets are Having thus-described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l A pair of football trousers, provided with outsidepadpockets or casings arranged on the front side of the trousers and pro jettingdownwardly' from theupper edge or waist. band portion of the trousers, and removable pads arranged in said pockets, each ofsaid pockets comprising an upper end portion that is adapted to be folded inwardly anddownwardly over the Waistband portion of: thetrousers.

jecting downwardly from the upper edge or waist band portion of the trousers, removable pads arranged in said pockets, each of said pockets comprising an upper end portion that is adapted to be folded inwardly and, downwardly over the waist band portion of the trousers, and laeings for retaining the folded over end portions of said 'pockets'and for securing said pads to the waist band portion of the trousers.

3. A pair of football trousers provided with outside pad pockets arranged on the front side of the trousers in the zone of the wearers abdomen a-ndeach formed from a pocket piece of fabric secured to the trousers by stitching and provided at its upper end with anextension: and flaps that virtually 'forni a tubular. casing which is adapted tobe foldedinwardly and downwardly over the upper edge, or waist band portion of the trousers,tpa-ds in sa'idpoclzets, and lacings passed through said folded portions,

through thewaist band portion and through the pads for securing the pads, in operative position; inthe pockets. I

'lVILLIAh/I P. WVHITLEY. ROBERT. C. ZUPPKE. 

